Donations to National Roller Coaster Museum

Our dear friend Gina Guglielmi, www.intermarkridegroup.com, sent us this lovely news release from Business Wire about the National Roller Coaster Museum. Gary Slade, Amusement Today, is the powerhouse behind this project. Gary is dear friend, more like chosen family, as are a lot of the donors mentioned in the article.

Rendering of the Mark Moore Memorial Wing of the National Roller Coaster Museum. (Photo: Business Wire)

October 26, 2017 11:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

PLAINVIEW, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The tragic death of National Roller Coaster Museum founding board member Mark Moore in 2016 is allowing the NRCMA to double the size of its current archive facility complex and to create a showroom for public access to select artifacts within the Museum’s collection. The expansion will be named for Moore and will quantify his success in the industry and his support of the NRCMA.

“The response by the industry to recognize Mark has been unprecedented”

“The response by the industry to recognize Mark has been unprecedented,” Jeff Novotny, NRCMA Chairman, said. “Nearly $325,000 was raised in one day at the 2016 IAAPA Expo in Orlando, which proves Mark Moore was an innovator in the industry and inspiration to his peers. This effort is allowing the Museum to realize some of its loftiest goals.”

A second round of fundraising at the 2017 IAAPA EXPO (November 14-17 in Orlando) will assist in raising funds to complete this and more projects.

Architectural designs for the expansion have been donated by Herschman Architects in Cleveland. Its colorful, whimsical design references the heritage of fun and excitement of the midway, while the functional design provides state-of-the-art display and archive space.

This development joins other endowed expansions of the museum archive complex. Building one was donated by fund­raising efforts by members of the American Coaster Enthusiasts. Buildings two and three grew the building two more times thanks to donations from the Gary and Linda Hays family (Cliff’s Amusement Park) archive facility. A fourth donation allowed for the construction of the current climate controlled archives area. These four buildings now house equipment donated by Cedar Fair; Disneyland; Dollywood; Hersheypark; Six Flags and many others. Major archive collections have been donated by the Bill Crandall family; the Bill Cobb/John Pierce collection; Harold Hudson; LARC; Tom Major; the Bob Minick family; the Ron Toomer family and countless others.

As NRCMA continues to expand its collection and to work toward both mobile exhibits and a public museum to showcase the history of the amusement industry but it needs the help of the industry and the general public. Donations can be made by mail: NRCMA, Attention: Jerry Willard, PO Box 5424, Arlington, TX 76005-5424.

THE NRCMA IS AN UNAFFILIATED, 501(C)(3) NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS DEDICATED TO THE PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION OF HISTORIC ROLLER COASTERS AND AMUSEMENT PARK ARTIFACTS AND MEMORABILIA TO DOCUMENT AND ARCHIVE THE HISTORY OF THE AMUSEMENT PARK INDUSTRY IN A DYNAMIC ENVIRONMENT WHILE PROVIDING THE MOST COMPLETE REPOSITORY OF INFORMATION AND DOCUMENTS REGARDING THE AMUSEMENTS INDUSTRY.

TO DONATE TO THE NRCMA TO AID IN THE PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION OF HISTORIC ROLLER COASTERS AND AMUSEMENT PARK ARTIFACTS: